Moonlight and Shadows
by beaucoup riant
Summary: Oneshot. AU. You exist in the shadows so that she may act in the light. You wlll be the eyes that take her surroundings so that she can focus on the immediate threat. Take out all those who raise their hands to strike her. You must be fearful so that she may be fearless. Together, you can be invincible.


_You exist in the shadows so that she may act in the light. _She's beautiful and she knows it. She often plays this to her advantage. Her hair that rivals Rapunzel is curled and tantalizingly bouncy across her bare shoulders. Everything about her is meant to attract the attention of their target: another dangerous cartel who has gotten his hands on nuclear weapons. He is watching her from his skybox perch, ignoring the loud music blaring from the speakers placed all around the club. His reclusive and threatening aura prevents girls who take glances at him from approaching him. His azure eyes stay on her in the dark.

The glass of whiskey hides the fact that he's really aiming a gun. A thin slim gun with a lens that acts as a sniper capable of shooting from the 45 feet drop between the skybox and the dance floor his partner is currently dancing on. He moves the gun when there is a flash of movement that gets too close to her.

_You will be the eyes that take in her surroundings so that she can focus on the immediate threat. _It is safe for now, Darien knows. There are still many innocent people in the club and guns haven't been drawn yet. The cartel is enraptured by Serena and he knows he doesn't need to shoot anyone…yet. He knows though, with the volatile nature of the target, a fight might be drawn out in the middle of the club so he keeps his guard up.

Serena pushes her hips closer to the cartel. Her head tilts so that her lips are a breath away from the thick bare neck, straining against the suit. Her long blonde hair is slipping down, revealing a glimpse of her cleavage for the taller man to see. She watches as the cartel's eyes glimpses down the tantalizing skin.

She sees his bodyguards glare at her from her peripheral vision. She doesn't worry though because her Shadow is there to see for her. Her hands glide down over her curves and dress. Her eyes are enchanting the blonde cartel. She's listening to his heavy breathing by her ear and she stares and stares at him while her fingers dance along the hem of her dress. Her fingers are searching for the poisoned needle, the weapon of choice.

When she pulls it out and turns around to face him, she makes the motion to drive it into his neck.

And then it goes to shit.

_Take out all those who raise their hands to strike her. You are her defense. _Gun shots go off and everyone is screaming. And there's a blur of motion but the target and guards and his charge are immovable objects against the swarm of people. His eyes narrow when the cartel sees the needle in his partner's hand. He puts his eye to the lens, fingers steady on the trigger, and his mind withdraws inwards until all he can hear is his heartbeat. Steady breathing ad steady beats. He is waiting for the perfect moment, in between heartbeats, to pull the trigger.

The cartel waves a hand and one of his lackey's grabs a hold of Serena. Cursing, Darien shifts his focus to the person who now his arms wrapped tightly around his partner. He is proud; as he always is that she seems unfazed with the threats surrounding her. In his mind's eyes, he knows she is glaring heatedly at the enemy.

_If she is hurt, exact revenge. _Another wave of the cartel's hands and there is a gun in her face. Darien pulls the trigger. With the death of a lackey, all eyes and focus goes onto finding who released the bullet. Serena takes the chance to break some limbs while he fires away.

_You must be fearful so that she may be fearless. _She is allowed to never worry about her defenses because he is her defense. And as long as he exist, she is never afraid. As she breaks limbs and forces her way through the masses of bodies, she is focused only on the objective: Kill the target. She can feel the knives and the barrels of the guns pointing at her. She doesn't turn around. Darien's heart is thumping rapidly and the only thing he is thankful for is that he doesn't need to wait for the lull between heartbeats to pull the trigger. He hopes Serena kills the bastard soon because sooner or later the bodyguards will find his hiding spot. He won't be able to defend her if he's trying to save himself too.

_Together, you can be invincible. _And finally, it is over. There is blood painting the floor everywhere and bodies unmoving. She is wiping away her sweat and he is trying to calm his racing heart. For the moment, everything is quiet. Almost too quiet, and they are both feeling fearful. Is there anymore? Is there another wave of fighting coming up? Is this really it? After two, long agonizing, minutes, Serena lifts her head up. Their eyes connect in the shadows he is hiding in. She smiles and sees the subtle shift in the darkness that tells her he is nodding, a silent communication.

An hour later, they are cutting across roofs and climbing dingy fire escapes. When they see each other, there is no hesitation. Guns, poisonous needles, and knives have long been disposed of. Gaudy dresses and ties have been tosses away and they blend with the night. But still, Darien thinks she is luminescent with the moonlight surrounding her in its soft light.

She throws herself at him. Adept to this, he catches her easily. Serena's tiny face presses into his neck, feeling his pulse with her lips. And just like that, the gore and adrenaline is washed away from his mind. A brief moment, that is all they need, just to be together before moving away. They dash away from their rendezvous point, their hands meeting in their swings to lace together. Their figures blows away as the night melts into the dawn of a new day.


End file.
